The week in culture: Feb. 18-24

This one's a little late 'cause I kinda forgot to post it. I know you all are just SO torn up about that because you LIVE for this blog.

Watched:
3:10 to Yuma - oh, Bale, you can do no wrong. Someone nominate this guy for an Oscar already!
The King of Kong, an enjoyable documentary about one man's quest to become the World Champion of Donkey Kong. Nerdery at its best!
My Best Friend's Wedding - years since I'd seen it. I forgot she is supposed to be 28 in that movie. 28 as the age when you figure if you're not married, you might as well throw in the towel? That seems extreme.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - just makes me want to re-read the books.
Dedication - weird indie romance, but a good performance from Mandy Moore
The Jane Austen Book Club - just as excellent the second time around

Also, the Oscars! This wasn't the most exciting year for me, as I hadn't seen/didn't feel particularly passionate about many of the nominees. Still, it was nice to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova win for their great song from Once, and there were some nice speeches and nice dresses (apparently Helen Mirren is incapable of looking bad). John Stewart did a commendable job, getting off some nice one-liners and those goofy montages.

And may I just say that Tivo-ing the Oscars, then watching them when you can fast-forward whatever you like is so the way to go. It was a jolly good time watching them in that fashion with Abbey.


Read:
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith - finally! This had been on my to-read list for ages. It was fast and unusual, with a likable lead character and mysteries that weren't just your run-of-the-mill murders.
A Home at the End of the World by Michael Cunningham - another book that was perennially on the list. Frankly, it could've stayed there. A lovely writer, but his books just dump you in the doldrums.


Spectated:
The Warriors sneaking in a win against the #1 Celtics. Despite the irritant of the tall, vocal Celtics fan in front of us, we enjoyed a heck of a game, capped by Baron Davis' winning basket with 0.3 on the clock. Those Warriors know how to pull off a close one, don't they? (They do.)

Also, the Warriors losing what should've been an easy win against the Atlanta Hawks. That was a frustrating one, but they were missing two of their best players (Jackson and Biedrins), so maybe it shouldn't have been a total surprise.


The Week in Soccer:
Non-existent! Due to all the glorious downpour that the bay was treated with, my game was rained out.


Pop Culture Site o' the Week:
Goodreads, which I keep meaning to get more involved with, is a nifty little site that lets you track what you're reading and share it with others. (My blog is the highly low-tech version of that.) If I get some time, it would be good fun to go write some reviews and roam around for recommendations from people with similar book taste.

The Week in Culture: Feb. 11-17

Watched:
The TV Set
Evan Almighty
The rest of season 1 of Ghost Whisperer

Read:
The Office of Desire by Martha Moody
Him Her Him Again The End of Him by Patricia Marx

Spectated:
Dos juegos de los Warriors:
Warriors (120) v. Wizards (117) - Captain Jack rallied at the end for a heart-pounding victory. great first NBA game for Sar and Carmen!
Warriors (120) v. Suns (118) - totally thought they'd lose this; so sweet when they didn't!

Random Culture Moment of the Week:
I know Valentine's Day is over, but these e-cards are a riot -- and really, you could send them other days of the year than V-Day. Really, roam around the site a bit. You'll find many a card that sound like things I'd have written, or wish I could've.

The Week in Soccer
Victory! 4-1. And it was the nice field! I scraped my knee (boo) but I scored (yay) so it all came out well in the end. Next week, back to the craptacular field. But it's not an 8AM game, so maybe the field won't be quite so water-logged.

Trip Report: Disneyland

Our company trip this year was to the "happiest place on earth," and aside from the California Adventure (which didn't really frost my cake, though I could see how it might appeal to out-of-staters or younguns), it was a true delight.

For starters, we stayed at the (jungle-themed!) Embassy Suites Anaheim, which was a complete blast from the past for me. The design of the hotel (a rectangular arrangement of rooms facing inward around a central fake oasis) reminded me of being a kid, either of soccer tournament trips or overnights with my Girl Scout troop. I can't remember which it was (possibly both) but it absolutely put me in the right mindset for a trip to Disneyland.

Among the fun things experienced at the Magical Kingdom:

- The Enchanted Tiki Room (a fave of Josh and a first for me, to my recollection)
- Space Mountain (hysterically fun)
- Tower of Terror (umm, legitimately a bit terrifying)
- Star Tours (love the little touches of humor in that one)
- Indiana Jones (a favorite, but it goes by so quickly!)
- the Haunted Mansion (a classic that actually frightened me with one new section)
- Pirates of the Caribbean (revamped to include Jack Sparrow anamatronics, still fun)
- lunch at the Blue Bayou restaurant (the fake-outdoors one next to PotC)
- Storybook Land Canal Boats (retro fab -- and totally empty)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (a rollicking good time)
- whatever they called the rapids ride where the front of my shirt got wet
- unfortunately, no Jungle Cruise (closed -- alas!)

In the evening (8pm-1am) the park was open to just my work people, so there were virtually no lines (yes, I know I'm spoiled). Josh and I got to ride PotC in our own boats, it was that empty. Surprisingly creepy, but well worth it: an experience I don't think I'll ever have again. Still, racing through the lack of lines means you don't take the time to appreciate all the effort that goes into creating the environment and ambience of each ride for the people who are waiting in line. There's so much detail; it can really transport you to another place when you're immersed in caverns or blinking electronics during your wait time. I admire the "set designers" who create the experiences. That seems like a fun job.

By the end of the day, my feet were sore, and I was cold and tired, but oddly not that hungry (heightened motion sensitivity and corresponding stomach grumpiness a delightful side effect of aging).

Every time I go back to Disneyland, it seems a little smaller. I know I'm not getting bigger anymore (much as I dreamed of being 5'8'', that ship has sailed), but the fairy tale castle looked shockingly tiny this year. No matter; I still love it. I think I've finally reached the age where I'm looking forward to taking my kids someday. Of course, for myself, there's still Disneyworld to explore; I've never been there, and man do I love geodesic domes...

The weeks in culture: Jan. 28 - Feb. 10

Watched:
Eastern Promises - really smart and suspenseful. highly recommended if you can stand the violence (or if, like me, you know when to avert your eyes)
Un Coeur en Hiver - one of the best movie titles ever I think
Assorted episodes of Newsradio, seasons 1-3 - I forgot how funny this is
Assorted episodes of Ghost Whisperer - JLH hair: lovely; not a show that really strains the brain in any way

Heard:
Not much of anything...what do you recommend these days? I guess I've been listening to the Dixie Chicks' two most recent CDs; those never get old.

Read:
The Undecided Voter's Guide to the Next President by Mark Halipern
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Spectated:
Warriors v. Bulls (a game we should've won)
So, so many games on TV. Julie has turned into a veritable b-ball addict. It's like I don't even recognize myself...and must therefore be referred to in the third person.

The week in soccer:
Rained out one week, and a high-scoring loss the next week. We played on a new field that did not have any lines. It also had long wet grass that soaked through the socks and left me with sodden, stinky feet. Now my car even smells. Eeeeew. Looking forward to next week and the faux-grass field again. And maybe actually scoring a darn point!

Cultural tidbit of delight:
I don't get particularly into the whole political debate. I think people should vote, but they're welcome to their own opinions and don't need me to critize their beliefs or how they want the government to spend their money. However, I will say: Moustaches + politics = awesome.

Uber-cuteness of the week (via Sara):
Baby polar bears! HUG HUG HUG DEATH

*Stay tuned for a subsequent trip report that got too long to be part of the "visited" section of this post...